The Great Donovan and Julie Controversy
by Tamie K
Summary: Diana thinks she has something on Julie, but will she convince Nathan Bates of his prized researcher's disloyalty? Early summer, 1984.
1. The Intruder

Ham's arrival at resistance headquarters after 11p.m. worried Julie. He'd called Elias informing him that he needed to see Julie, for medical attention, but he wouldn't say what for. A large green and blue bump had started to form on Ham's forehead.

Julie examined it carefully under a spotlight, wondering how Ham had obtained his injury.

"Did you try an ice pack?" she asked. It seemed like a common sense treatment, not necessarily one that required administration by a health care professional.

"A whole tray full," muttered Ham.

"You put an ice cube tray against your forehead?"

He flinched away from her probing fingers and glared at her.

"So how did you get this injury?" she questioned.

"The kid," Ham said.

_Kid, what kid? Is he referring to Elizabeth… or Kyle? He sometimes calls Kyle "kid."_

"Who did this to you?"

"That punk kid of Gooder's. You almost through?"

She gasped in disbelief. "Sean did this to you? Is he with Mike now?"

"He escaped, went back to Diana."

_Poor Mike. _She eyed the large lump again…._ Poor Ham._

"What did he hit you with?"

"His fist. You got anything for the pain?"

"A couple of aspirin?"

Ham bit off a laugh.

"You really do need to keep ice on that to get the swelling down. You shouldn't drive either. You might have a concussion."

He started for the spiral staircase as Julie packed up the contents of her medical bag.

"Are you going home now?" she asked.

"Elias will have something for the pain."

"You shouldn't drink either."

Ham hesitated at the top of the stairs. "You should be more concerned about Gooder's drinking."

Julie heard the secret door slide shut behind him _Is Donovan upstairs?_ She imagined Donovan's frustration in surrendering Sean to Diana again. And if her suspicion was correct, Donovan had been upstairs for a while, intoxicating himself to numb his anguish. She set her medical bag aside, then climbed the steps.

* * *

Infuriated by Mike Donovan's breech of embassy security, not once but twice today, Diana slammed a stiff drink, a little habit she'd learned from some of her human non-friends. After Donovan's son Sean showed his loyalty toward her, by choosing to stay with her instead of his father, she decided to keep him around for her amusement.

She'd decided to wean him off the Procorb for a few days… see where his present mental state was, and then if she needed to, she'd place him back in the conversion chamber and assign one of Klaus' finest graduates to train him to kill the way Klaus had attempted to.

Sean would make a fine soldier in Diana's war against his people. Perhaps this would be her greatest assault in her vendetta against the youth's father. Not knowing everything there was to know about Donovan's relationship with his son, the history of his marriage, Diana decided to pay a visit to Donovan's home that evening. She had the address, after all, she'd had Donovan abducted from his residence only a few weeks ago.

She brought a trooper with her to sit outside in an unmarked vehicle, while one of her assistants picked Donovan's front door lock.

"Are you certain you want to enter alone?" the male asked.

"Wait in the vehicle," Diana insisted. "And don't come in unless I summon you."

"Yes, commander." He marched away, his black boots hitting the wet pavement with thumps.

Diana pushed the door open and stepped inside the home. With a flashlight, she began to look around. She passed through the living room, fondling framed photos of Donovan and his "family." Images of Sean through various states of his childhood filled one collage frame. Another portrait showed Donovan embracing Julie, looking as though he were going to kiss her.

"Dear Doctor Parrish, you may fool Nathan Bates, but you haven't fooled me," Diana said to the photograph. "Whatever would Nathan do if he knew that you and Donovan were lovers?"

She smiled at the photograph, remembering how she'd tricked Donovan into believing she was Julie by wearing a holographic generator/pendant around her neck. She remembered how passionately he'd kissed her, even drugged up on Contramine. The strength of his lips… the warmth of his embrace. Oh, what a fine lover he would make, if only he were hers.

Diana stopped to consider, she could capture Donovan again, only this time to make him her slave.

She realized that by now Donovan would've told Julie about being tricked into thinking somebody was her, and about the information he'd then unknowingly leaked to aid in the capture of the Starchild. But did Donovan really know it was Diana who'd acted as Julie? Shortly after Donovan's escape, Lieutenant Paul reported finding Lydia in the hallway outside Donovan's confinement room, unconscious on the floor, wearing the holographic generator around her neck. Maybe Donovan believed it was her he'd kissed.

Diana had enjoyed her few moments of fun with Donovan's affections directed at her. And she longed for more of that attention. _If only…_

She smiled, knowing an interesting night lie ahead.


	2. Tab Unpaid

Julie felt the tension in Donovan's shoulders as he lifted his mug from the bar for another swallow. No telling how long he'd been here, but three other empty glasses sat in front of him. The whine of a vacuum cleaner coming from the dining room gave Julie the privacy she wanted with Donovan. Occupied with the closing routine, Elias and Willie tended to their evening chores while Aidle played a soft melody on the piano.

"Want to talk about it?" Julie pressed a kiss to Donovan's ear.

"Not really." He eased himself from of her grasp.

She sat in the stool next to him. "Maybe you'll have another opportunity to find him."

Donovan said nothing, his countenance a cross between anger and hopelessness. He stared straight at the empty glasses.

"Diana said you'd infiltrated the embassy. She actually insisted Bates have you arrested." Julie considered the irony in the situation, Mike Donovan needing to be arrested for trying to steal his son back from his abductors. "Bates told her she needed proof."

"Screw her."

He lifted the mug to his lips again. The glass was almost empty, and Julie wondered if Elias would indulge him some more.

"How was Sean?" she asked.

"You don't give up easily, do you? I said I didn't want to talk about it."

"So, what you plan to sit here and drink all night?"

"Pretty much."

He leaned toward the tap and shoved his mug under it, then pushed the button.

"This isn't self-serve!" Elias called from the dining room. He hurried behind the bar, and put his hand over Donovan's letting him know he'd crossed the line. "You haven't paid for your last four."

His eyes narrowing, Donovan withdrew his hand and smirked. "Put it on my tab."

Julie knew it would be a while before Donovan had real money again. He'd recently given up his job at KDHB. They refused to employ a wanted criminal. The few times Julie had offered to help him pay utilities, Donovan refused, telling her he didn't need any of her money, especially when it came from Nathan Bates.

"I'll pay for the last four," Julie said. "How much does he owe?"

"You don't need to pay." Donovan shifted his gaze to Elias. "One more. I'll bring you the money next week. Scouts honor."

"I'm cutting you off. We're closing up shop for the evening," Elias said. He nodded at Ham who sat at the other end of the bar alone. "That goes for you too."

Julie caught Donovan's elbow as he stood uneasily. "You think you can drive?"

"That's why we have a couch in the basement."

"I don't want you staying the night here either," Elias said, passing a white towel over the bar in circles.

"Why, you don't trust me?" Donovan asked. "Thanks."

"I'll take you home, Mike," Julie volunteered.

He flashed her a look of surprise. "Well that could prove interesting."

She gave him a half-smile, doubting he were sober enough to make her evening interesting. She just hoped he wouldn't pass out in the front seat of her car on the way to his house. She needed to get back to her own apartment and it was well past her bedtime. Work started at eight. And there were ocean vegetation samples to check for Red Dust damage.

Donovan slipped his hand around her waist, drawing her near. "Will you carry me to your car, ma'am? It seems my walking ability isn't so great."

She giggled. "I think you'll manage, Mike."


	3. Predator's Game

Diana snooped throughout Donovan's house, first the living room then Sean's bedroom, and then the master bedroom. What in particular she wanted to know about the forty-year-old resistance leader, she wasn't sure, but there was a certain satisfaction in prying. The bedroom closet offered little information in regards to Donovan's marriage to Marjorie. Perhaps he'd been too bitter from the divorce to hang onto mementos. From what Diana had gathered during Sean's earliest conversion sessions, the Donovans divorced in 1981. Sean held feelings of resentment toward his father for not being around as often as he wanted him to be. Diana assumed that it was Donovan's career demands that had destroyed his marriage. But who'd sought divorce?

Sean's memory bank stored a bitter child support and visitation battle. While Donovan was supposed to keep the boy every other weekend, he'd often stay gone on assignment for weeks at a time. It didn't surprise Diana to discover a shoebox of old baseball cards on the closet's top shelf. If there was one pastime that had bonded father and son, it was going to Dodgers games. The shoebox also contained a few photographs of Donovan and Sean posing with team members, Steve Howe and Dusty Baker, and an autographed catcher's mitt. Diana traced her hand over the smooth, caramel colored leather, wondering if any of these keepsakes would be valuable to Sean. The key in successful conversion was to learn the subject's vulnerabilities, and what they treasured the most. Perhaps Diana could implant a false memory in Sean's mind that would break the bonds he shared with his father. Attending the LA Dodger's games in years past would no longer be reflected upon with happy memories, but images of a father humiliating his son in front of his heroes: team members. Diana intended to make Donovan out to be a monster and break the remaining trust Sean had for him. Then there'd never be any doubt of Sean's loyalty toward Diana.

"A vehicle is approaching, commander," Diana heard in her ear piece. "It's pulling in the driveway."

"Is it him?" she asked, hefting the shoe box up into the closet.

"A female is exiting the car."

Diana's heart skipped a beat.

"What does she look—"

"It's Julie Parrish, Commander. Donovan is with her."

Diana smiled. This was better than she could've imagined. Her guess was either Julie had come to share political information with Donovan, or engage in a romantic interlude. Either would prove satisfactory to Diana. She had the tool she needed, a small round device she promptly pulled from her pocket, pushed a button on, and mounted to the side of Donovan's night stand. It was the very recording device she'd tried to bug Nathan Bate's office with last week.

"Do you want us to take them into custody, Commander?"

"Shh." She snapped, then whispered. "Don't make your presence known. I will contact you when I'm ready."

"But-"

"Shh." She cut him off again, then climbed into the closet, and slid its door almost all the way shut. She ducked behind a wall inside the closet.

It wasn't long before she heard the sound of Donovan and Julie's voices.

"You tricked me, Michael," Julie complained. "You're not really drunk, are you?"

Diana smiled at Julie's lament.

"It was the only way I could get you to my place," Donovan said, his voice growing louder as the couple entered the room. "Come here."

Diana couldn't help but turn her head so she could see through the gap between the sliding door and the wall she'd hid behind. She saw Donovan and Julie's embrace, then kiss. The way Human beings engaged in their mating ritual fascinated Diana. She'd studied all types of videos by the so-called sex expert, Dr. Ruth, and other interesting pornography films one of her favorite male subordinates shared with her. And then there was the video of Robin and Brian… That always intrigued her.

And here was this couple, making out in front of her. It was live and they had no idea of her presence, and she'd have it all on audio. Now if she could just use that audio in her crusade against Julie's employment by Bates. Oh, to see the look on Bates' face.

Julie pulled away slightly from Donovan and said to him, "You know, when I saw Diana today, she said to tell you something the next time I see you."

"What, you wanna marry me?" Donovan bent down to kiss her.

Diana watched the way their lips met tenderly, not animalistic, like some of Diana's lovers.

Julie drew away. "Not… yet."

Donovan's fingertips laced through her hair.

"What? As soon as I kill her and this stupid war ends?" He tilted Julies head back and planted a kiss on her neck.

"Nnn-no…" She giggled.

"Diana doesn't think I should marry you?" He found her lips with his again.

Julie returned the kiss, then said in a nearly inaudible whisper, "That wasn't what she said."

"Well, I don't think we need her opinion." His hands moved to her waistline. He kissed her again.

"Can I tell you what she said?" Julie asked, her lips only an inch away from his.

He arched an eyebrow. "Whatever excites you."

Diana stopped herself from laughing.

Julie's playful smile exuded mischief. "She said that the next time I see you…" She paused, interrupted by something that was beyond Diana's vantage point… "That I should tell you she eats what she catches."

"I'll bet she does."

Another pause… More smooching sounds. Diana refrained from opening the closet door farther. She wanted to see.

"She wants to catch you… Mike."

"Well, you'll have to tell her I've already been caught."

Julie squealed and Diana was certain Donovan did something to amuse her. A tickle… maybe?

"I- I couldn't do that," Julie admitted.

"Why? Daddy Warbucks might get jealous?"

_Daddy Warbucks?_ Diana wondered. _Is that Donovan's pet name for Nathan? Who is Daddy Warbucks?_

"I can't wait until the war's over. Then you can invite that jerk to our wedding. I'll marry you right in front of him."

"You really do have a death wish for me, don't you?"

"No, I'm just a little hurt by you telling him_ I_ ended us." He sounded annoyed.

"Well I had to tell him something. He wouldn't keep me employed if he knew we were still seeing each other."

"Politics."

"Mike, let's not argue. That isn't why you invited me in, is it?"

"Sorry," he said, rolling her over onto her back. Diana could see them again. "Let's make a deal. You don't mention Diana while I'm making love to you. And I won't mention Nathan Bates."

"Deal." Julie enveloped him in her arms as he kissed her.


	4. Diana's Accusation

Julie had set Donovan's alarm for five a.m, giving herself ample time to return home to shower and get ready for work in the morning. She'd enjoyed her evening with him; Lately, it'd felt like they were drifting apart, and she'd worried about their relationship. Though Donovan often teased about getting married when the war ended, that ending seemed like an eternity away.

Julie pulled her RX-7 into the Science Frontier's parking lot at 7:45 A.M. After passing through several of the building's security checkpoints, she entered Nathan Bates office for their daily meeting about her progress with Red Dust research. But instead of finding Nathan Bates' sitting behind his desk, Julie recognized the red uniformed, dark-haired woman sitting in the chair Julie usually sat in.

She froze as Diana swiveled the chair around to face her.

A slow smile spread across the alien commander's lips. "Good morning, Julie."

The question fell from Julie's lips before she could catch it. "Wh-Where's Nathan?"

Diana shrugged her shoulders. "Running late, I suppose. How are you this morning? I take it you had a good night's rest?"

"Sure," Julie said, wondering why Diana suddenly cared about how she tended to herself. Being alone in this room withher made Julie nervous, and she hoped Nathan would show up soon.

"Did you enjoy Donovan's company last night?"

Julie's jaw tightened. "No, I stayed home last night."

Diana's eyelashes did a little dance of amusement. "Then I don't need to worry about you and he marrying after he kills me and the war ends, do I?"

Julie's stomach knotted. It was as if Diana had eavesdropped on Donovan's very words to her last night, and she knew to retort would be an admission of guilt.

"Of course you will send Nathan Bates an invitation to the wedding, won't you? I'd had to see the two of you make him feel left out."

"Donovan and I aren't seeing each other anymore."

"Oh, don't lie to me, Julie," Diana sang. "I guess Donovan didn't tell you about the trick I played on him when I had him a few weeks ago. I pretended I was you and we were married."

_You pretended you were me?_ Julie asked, only in her mind, wondering how it were possible.

"And let me tell you," Diana continued, "He couldn't tell the difference between you or I when I kissed him. In fact, he enjoyed it."

Julie thought she was about to lose the slice of toast she'd eaten for breakfast. She held her speech and started for her office, accessible through Nathan's.

"He does love you so, Julie. It's too bad you he and Sean aren't family yet. I think the boy loves me."

Julie turned, ready to go off on Diana, when Nathan Bates walked in the room. It was a good thing she'd held her tongue.

"Good morning, ladies," Bates said. "Diana, I wasn't expecting you today."

"Oh, I know, Nathan. But there's a very urgent matter I need to discuss with you and Julie."

"Problems with the resistance?" Nathan eased into his chair and lit a cigar.

Julie remained in her office doorway, hoping Nathan wouldn't summon her over.

"Have a seat, Julie," Diana said. "I'm afraid it mostly concerns you."

Julie exchanged puzzled looks with Nathan then tried to get out of the situation. "Diana, I have some experiments to check on."

"Oh, it will only take a few minutes."

Nathan motioned to an empty chair and Julie hated him for it. What? Was Diana about to tell him that she'd eavesdropped on Julie and Donovan's lovemaking last night? Did she? What a horrible thought.

Julie sat, considering the possibilities of how Diana might reveal her concerns.

"About that little conversation we had yesterday, about Donovan breaking into _my _embassy…" Diana began.

"You have proof?" Nathan taunted.

"Better than that, Nathan."

Julie watched as Diana pulled a small round object, the size of a large watch battery, but thicker, out of the breast of her uniform.

"What is that?" Julie asked.

Nathan's face reddened. "I told you not to bug my office."

"Not your office, Nathan," Diana said. She pushed a button, but nothing happened.

If this were some sort of audio device, then Julie wondered why there was no sound. Diana's eyes fixated on the object. Her face muscles tensed then she pressed the button again. She tried several more times.

"I'm waiting Diana," Nathan urged.

Julie could see the veins under Diana's pseudo skin throbbing. The Lizard bitch was angry.

"It's malfunctioned," Diana explained.

Julie got up from her chair, relieved, but she still wondered what it was, and if her suspicions were correct about Diana eavesdropping, or bugging Donovan's bedroom last night.

"Well, if you're finished making a fool of yourself," Julie began.

"Dr. Parrish." Nathan's warned.

"…I do have work to attend to."

Diana glared at her. "You're not going anywhere, Julie. Tell Nathan who you've been sleeping with!"

"I haven't been sleeping with anybody!"

Nathan looked at her then Diana. "Diana, you've crossed the line. Dr. Parrish's private life is none of your concern."

"Oh, but it is your concern, Nathan. You don't know what secrets she's been feeding Mike Donovan about our conversations when they're in bed together. She's a spy for the resistance."

"She's assured me she isn't," Nathan said. "And I suggest you watch where you stick that fake nose of yours, when it comes to my employees."

"Then you won't be checking into it?"

He stabbed his cigar into the ash tray. "I want you to leave now."

Diana stood, pocketing the broken device. "Fine Nathan, but one day you will discover that she's been lying to you. And then you'll feel like a fool."

The door slammed behind her and Julie blinked. Nathan's gaze shifted to her again…


	5. Act of Vengeance

Nathan didn't keep his eyes off of Julie, which only added to her feelings of anxiety. Was she about to lose her job? How could she convince him that Diana lied?

"I don't know what Diana had on that recording device," Nathan began, "But you'd better hope she wasn't telling the truth about you and Donovan."

"Donovan and I are not together anymore. I told you that weeks ago."

"I want to believe you, Dr. Parrish."

Funny he called her Julie when everything was light and casual, but when he suspected treason, formalities became necessary.

"Tell me about your relationship with Mike Donovan. How long did you and he uh… date?"

"That's irrelevant."

"Do you love him?"

She couldn't believe his nerve, asking such a personal question.

"Donovan didn't agree with my being here, my need to work for you, to get the Red Dust situation under control."

"That wasn't my question," Nathan said. "I need to know where your loyalties lie."

"You plan to fire me over something Diana said? You'd trust her, over me? Well if that's the case, then maybe I don't _need_ this job." She started for her office.

"Dr. Parrish, wait—"

Tears started to form in her eyes, as she hesitated by her office door. She didn't look at him. "Call me by my first name, Nathan."

"Julie."

She batted a few tears away, then eyed him.

"I'm sorry. We'll just forget the incident occurred. But I swear if Diana brings any fallible proof against you, there will be severe consequences."

_You still don't believe me_. Rage swelled in her chest. She wanted to walk, quit her job. Damn the Red Dust, and damn the Resistance's need for her political ties to Nathan Bates.

"I know that."

"Carry on with your experiments."

Julie turned on her heel and closed the door behind her, wishing the blinds that gave Nathan a view of her office's interior were shut. If she closed them, it would be obvious she was crying. So she decided to face the solid wall, at the rear of the tiny room, until she could control her tears.

* * *

Diana returned to the Mother Ship that morning angrier than when she'd left. She went straight to the technician who'd helped her edit the voice recording of Donovan and Julie's intimate interlude, convinced he'd somehow damaged the recording device in the process.

The panel doors glided open in front of her. Andrew lie in bed with his lover in his arms. Diana ripped the sheet away and flung it aside.

She glared at Andrew. "Get up. Now!"

The young woman, who'd kept him company tried to put her human face mask back on, but the nose didn't line up correctly. Diana shoved her out of the room, sending her crashing to the hallway floor outside, then pressed the panel door button. The doors slid shut.

Andrew looked stunned. He gathered the sheet around his midsection to cover his nakedness.

Diana clucked her tongue. "No need for modesty, dear Andrew."

"Is s-something the matter?"

"Yes," she hissed. "Apparently in your attempt to create a credible audio recording last night, you damaged the recorder. I just made a fool of myself, and you're to blame."

"Would you like me to fix—"

"No, no. It's too late for that dear."

His eyes grew wide with fear.

Diana smiled. "I've heard that our crivits need feeding. I think you will make a great meal."

His voice trembled. "Diana, I can fix it for you. Please—" He sat on the edge of his bed, reached for his uniform, then slid it on underneath the sheet.

"That won't be necessary." She hit the panel door button again. The doors opened. "Guard!" she called.

Another male Visitor appeared before her and saluted.

"Take this young man away to the crivit hold. He failed to carry out his mission."

The guard seized Andrew, bringing his hands behind his back. Diana followed their promenade partially down the hallway, and then turned left into another corridor. It was time to visit Sean Donovan…


	6. Debt Payoff

Donovan spent most of his morning at the HQ, in contact with a Fifth Columnist friend of Willie's, trying to track down Sean's location. Surprised to learn that Diana had Sean transported to the Mother Ship after leaving the embassy yesterday, he begged for assistance in sneaking aboard to retrieve his son. But the Fifth Columnist refused to participate in such a risky endeavor.

Shortly after noon, Donovan heard Elias ranting and raving in the kitchen above. The yelling piqued Donovan's curiosity and he took the secret passage upstairs, which brought him to the kitchen. The scent of catfish frying in the deep fryer infiltrated his nostrils and made his stomach gurgle.

"We got fifty-seven reservations this afternoon. And my dishwasher up and just quit," Elias said, shoving a counter full of soiled pots into a suds and water filled sink. "Who's going to do the damned dishes?"

Donovan saw the opportunity to work of his meal tab, and maybe have something left over for a surprise for Julie. He hoped to see her again tonight.

He stood next to Elias who leaned against the sink, looking hopeless.

"What's the problem now, Donovan?"

"Nothing. I thought I'd help you."

"You wanna do dishes?" Elias chuckled.

"To pay off my debt, and maybe earn a little extra."

"How much extra you talkin?"

"Dunno. Maybe twenty… a little present for my lady friend."

Elias smiled. "Maybe you won't need no extra if you can persuade her to come here at close this evening."

"What do you have in mind?"

"A little candle light dinner for the two of you, and music, courtesy of Ms. Aidele the piano player."

"That sounds like more than a day's worth of dishes."

"We'll even up later."

Donovan pursed his lips. His original plan was to surprise Julie at her place, after she got off work. She might even let him stay the night, since it was Friday. He knew she didn't like him calling her at work, unless it was an emergency, and doubted she'd stop by here afterward.

"Would you call her and ask her to stop by and check on Elizabeth this evening? Say around a quarter til ten?"

"What's wrong with Elizabeth?" Elias asked.

"Dunno. I'm sure you'll come up with something."

* * *

Diana'd had about all of the insubordination she could take this morning. To her dismay, the technician overseeing Sean's withdrawals from Procorb balked at her insistence to start the memory implant experiments.

On the other side of a glass partition, Diana and the technician watched the young man toss and turn in his bed, grasping at his stomach. Every now and then, waves of vomiting ensued.

"Let me give him the sickness treatment," the technician pleaded.

"No we must start the experiment this evening," Diana insisted.

"How do you intend to perform it when he's so nauseated he can't even sleep?"

"He'll have no meals this afternoon or this evening. The sedative we give him later will quell the remaining nausea spasms."

"I hope so, Commander." He cast a forlorn glance at Sean, then Diana. "For his sake."

"You shouldn't care so deeply about these Human's, Paul. It could cost you your position as one of my top aids."

Paul's eyes narrowed. "You'd have the subject choke on his own vomit during his sleep, just for the satisfaction of a memory implant ?"

Diana raised her fist, striking the technician full at the base of the nose. He fell to the floor, green blood spilling over his human mask.

"My decisions will not be questioned."

Paul laid there, his hand covering his bloodied nose and mouth, looking stunned.

The panel doors whined open and the blonde Chief of Fleet Security, Lydia walked in with a paper printout in her hands.

"What happened here, Diana?"

Diana gritted her teeth. "None of your concern."

"My concern is for the welfare of all our people," Lydia reminded. She motioned for the guard outside and ordered, "Help him to sick bay." Without a second thought she said to Diana, "I could have you investigated for abuse of power."

"And I could have you arrested for incompetence, letting Donovan go."

Lydia's jaw tightened. "I already told you, I knew nothing of Donovan's escape from his confinement."

"Well we'll see who the counsel believes, me or you?"

"I'm certain they'd believe me too, if I invited them to my quarters for sex experiments."

Diana smiled. "No worries about that, dear with your reputation of… shall we say… not knowing how to properly entertain a male?"

Lydia strutted out of the cell with the document in her hand. Whatever it was, Diana came to the conclusion it wasn't that important after all. She watched the guard drag the bleeding technician out of the room, and contemplated finding another.

* * *

a/n For a complete listing of my current stories go to my user profile. All of the stories set within the timeline of V: The Series are prequels to a much larger story called "The Toxin Scandal." Anonymous and non-anonymous feedback are much appreciated. Thank you.


	7. Thwarted Plans

Late afternoon, the phone in Julie's lab rang several times. Afraid to answer it, she speculated Donovan or some other Resistance member was on the other end. On the fourth ring, she noticed Nathan glance at her through her office window, and realized not answering the phone would draw more suspicion than picking it up.

She pressed the receiver against her cheek and muttered a quick, "Hello."

"I'm so glad I caught you."

She heard panic in Elias' voice. Whatever the emergency, a trip to The Club Creole was out of the question. She planned to go straight home.

"Is something wrong?" she questioned, hoping he wouldn't mention any of her fellow Resistance member's names. After all, Nathan could've tapped her phone, if he really didn't trust her. She glanced through the partition again, and was relieved to see Nathan had occupied himself with opening a wooden crate of cigars.

"It's Elizabeth," said Elias. "Her skin's flaking off. It's really weird."

_Oh God, she's changing again… _But a visit to the Starchild, could endanger her life. "Did you call Joe?" Julie referenced the other physician who tended to the Resistance when she wasn't available. She dared not say his last name and hoped Elias wouldn't either.

"She trusts you," he said. "Anyway, Kyle said he'd have her back here about a quarter til ten. Can you examine her?"

Glancing at her watch, Julie tried to imagine why, if the matter was so urgent, Kyle would wait so long. But then again, he barely knew Elizabeth (though Julie suspected his feelings ran deeper than she wanted, and she needed to have a talk with him).

"That's six hours away," she said. "Tell him she needs to be seen by Joe A.S.A.P. And give Joe a call."

"He can't get her out here 'til later."

"Why?" Julie asked. "If it's serious, she needs to be seen sooner." She wanted to advise Elias to have Donovan, or Ham take Elizabeth in to see Joe Akers, to assure her safety, but hesitated to drop any names.

"She doesn't want to see anyone but you."

"Well I can't see her tonight. I have some things to take care of at home," she said. _And please don't say he'll bring her by my place…_

She couldn't wait to get home and try to forget today's events.

"What could be more important than helping your patient, Doc?"

So now he played the guilt card. She wondered if Elizabeth were going through some molting phase again, where should it occur? She envisioned the green glow which had emanated from the cave on Robert Maxwell's property less than two months ago. Something like that would attract attention from spectators, if it took place in the city.

"Can I call you when I get home?" Julie decided in spite the risk, she'd phone Elias for more details later, and decide what the proper course of action would be, but hoped Nathan wouldn't have her home phone tapped.

Then another scary thought hit her… Maybe her real concern wasn't Nathan, but Diana's invasion of her privacy. What if Diana had her apartment bugged? Then Julie could never have any of her Resistance members over to her place again… Especially not Donovan.

"Please do," Elias said. "Bye Julie."

"Bye." She placed the phone back in its cradle.

* * *

The waistline of his polo shirt soaked from washing dishes, Donovan watched Elias hang up the phone.

"She won't come?" he asked, trying to suppress thoughts of worry.

Elias shook his head. "No. Something's not right. You know, if she thought Elizabeth was going through another metamorphosis, she'd be here in a flash."

Donovan wished Elias had come up with a better lie. The way he'd summoned Julie within a certain time frame sounded bogus, and perhaps she didn't believe him.

"She said to call her later, after she's home," Elias added, pulling a wine glass from bar's rack. He filled it with water.

The only thing that went through Donovan's mind was that his plans for the evening were now ruined. He imagined that Bates must've been near Julie during the call, and that's why she didn't give the desired response.

"If it's all the same to you, I'd still like that twenty and surprise her at her place."

"You haven't earned enough to pay off what you owe, or another twenty dollars."

"I'll be your dish boy tomorrow, I swear. This damn war is interfering with—"

"—your love life?" Elias finished the sentence for him with a smile.

"Yeah." Donovan felt the warmth surge to his cheeks. "I miss spending time with her. I think she misses me too."

"You're a hopeless fool, you know that?" Elias pulled his wallet from his slack pocket. He removed two twenties instead of one and handed them to Donovan. "Enjoy your evening with your lady friend."

Considering what he could buy to make the evening more memorable, Donovan said, "Thanks, I owe you a lot."


	8. Paranoia

Julie had been in such a hurry to flee from Science Frontiers that she arrived at her 1st Street apartment building ten minutes early. She approached her front door with caution, and her heart skipped a beat when she heard funky music with a Latin beat coming from her living room. Was Diana there playing some sort of sick joke on her? She listened to Julio Iglesias croon about Amor…

_Amor._

_Amor._

_Amor._

_The time is right._

_We have tonight to spend together…_

_Please let it be Donovan and not Diana… _

She reached in her handbag and pulled out the little pistol Donovan gave her last year, her fingers curled around the cold metal. She held it down at her side with one hand, then turned the door knob with the other… slow and cautious. Her stomach gurgled with fear.

When she had the door all the way open, then she saw Donovan kneeling on the floor in front of the stereo component system she'd purchased a few months ago. He smiled up at her then stood. She let him hug her, but tensed under his embrace.

"You didn't want to take care of Elizabeth, huh?"

He'd said it more teasing than accusing, and she eyed him. "She's okay?"

Donovan took her hand in his own, his fingers soft and warm. He pressed a kiss to her earlobe. A chill went down Julie's neck.

"We made it up… totally bogus," he said.

Julie flinched and ducked away. "Stop!"

He still grinned. "Elias said he'd have the chefs prepare something for us after close. Aidele agreed to play the piano. After last night, I thought we could—"

"I can't spend the evening with you," she interrupted, keeping her voice low, just in case.

"Why? You have plans? Daddy Warbucks—"

"Shh!" She hurried into her bedroom and opened her closet door, then looked inside. Nobody there. She scanned the room with her eyes as Donovan walked in. Julie didn't see any device like the one Diana had brought to Nathan Bate's office today, but she still felt uneasy. Even if Diana didn't bug her apartment, there was always the possibility of Bates having her monitored. She peeked around the window curtain.

"What are you doing?" Donovan asked.

There was no identifiable car from Science Frontiers in the parking lot below. _He'd probably send an unmarked vehicle… And if they're down there, it's not safe for Donovan to leave._

"Julie, what's going on?"

Where should she begin? Should she even speak? If Diana hid a recording device in the room, then she'd have the evidence she needed to make an accusation with. If Julie sent Donovan away and Bates were monitoring her, Donovan would be captured.

Julie pulled her mattress away from the box spring, looking between them. No bugging device there either.

"What are you looking for?"

She felt the tears form in her eyes as she looked at Donovan, and mouthed, "I can't talk about it right now."

"Are you being watched?" he mouthed back.

She nodded, then shrugged, not knowing the answer herself.

He hesitated for a moment, as if thinking then went to her desk for a pen and paper.


	9. Cause for Concern

Julie's hands shook as she scribbled the note to Donovan there on her dining room table. In tear-smeared ink were the words:

DIANA RECORDED US LAST NIGHT.

Donovan wanted to believe she was mistaken, that she only thought this. And what made her think it anyway?

Julie started writing again, and paused to smooth her tears away.

Donovan held her close and whispered in her ear. "Just tell me."

Julie cleared her throat, then whispered back, "She tried to play the recording for Nathan."

"Tried? What do you mean tried?" He spoke in a normal tone of voice, still not totally convinced a whisper was necessary.

He watched Julie's lips tremble as she continued on through her crying fit.

"She-she had a recording device. Nathan said she'd used it to bug his office before. And even before he came in the office, she repeated to me some things you said last night, like she was there… with us."

"Like what?"

Julie turned and reached for a napkin, then dabbed her eyes. "About us getting married after the war ends and you wanting to kill her."

Donovan swallowed. Could it be possible, that Diana had been in the room with them last night? Had she heard everything? "What else?" he asked, fearing what might be true.

"She asked me if I enjoyed your company last night. She said that she pretended to be me when you were held captive at the embassy and that you enjoyed kissing her because you thought she was me."

_It wasn't Diana… It was the blonde…_ He didn't know the other Visitor woman's name.

"Did you … kiss her?" She asked.

"I don't know."

"Did you kiss _somebody?"_

He nodded, thinking there was no need for jealousy, if that's what Julie was feeling. _No, she feels violated… If Diana was present when we were…_ He couldn't decide what was worse, the thought that he'd kissed Diana, or that she'd recorded him and Julie having sex. He attempted to piece together the information presented, to reach a conclusion about Julie's sudden paranoia and realized elements of evidence were missing.

"What happened with Bates?"

"Diana insisted you and I are sleeping together, and that I'm sharing secrets with you in bed."

"Not necessarily in bed," he teased.

Julie's look of hostility told him it wasn't funny to her. He started to massage her neck with his left hand. Her muscles were tense, and she leaned against him.

"I don't think we can do this anymore."

"What?"

"Us," she answered. "I don't think it's safe."

Now it was him whose muscles were tense.

"Maybe we should just lay low until after the war ends," she suggested. "Not see each other."

"And what, you're quitting the resistance too?" he barked, not that the latter was more important to him. How could their relationship survive an undetermined hiatus?

"I may have to." Julie moved away from him. "If Bates or Diana don't have my apartment bugged now, I wouldn't put it past either of them to have me followed. And Diana already knows about us." Her tears started to fall again. Donovan watched her throat muscles contract as she swallowed. "Sh-she said you loved me so, but that Sean loved her."

Donovan's stomach twisted at the mention of his son's name.

_Diana has Sean. I'm not giving her the satisfaction of ruining this relationship._

"I do love you," he reminded, giving her a gentle hug. He felt her heart beating a hundred miles an hour against him. "But waiting until the war ends… we don't know when that will be. And the resistance needs your connection with Bates. Maybe give it a week or two. Don't contact any of us or the Club Creole. Maybe Bates will back off if you don't do anything suspicious."

She nodded against him. "I thought if he's having me watched, it's not even safe for you to leave."

"I guess I'll just have to stay here for two weeks then." He pressed a kiss to one of her cheeks then the other. "We'll give Diana a good show, won't we?"

"We did last night."

Whether it was an admission of Julie's paranoia, or her acknowledgment that last night's lovemaking was the best session they'd experienced in a long time… He wanted to relive it. Never mind it was only going on six p.m.

"Can I stay tonight?" He kissed her lips.

"Why not? I'm already guilty?" She forced a smile. "You want dinner?"

"Anything you got is fine."


	10. The Loser

The bases were loaded at Dodger's stadium. 10-year-old Sean Donovan was up to bat. His father stood on the pitcher's mound, and famed Dodger's team member's Fernando Valenzuela, and Steve Howe were seated in the dugout.

"Rookie, Sean Donovan is up to bat," an announcer called over the loud speakers. The crowd cheered. "This is his first time playing with the Dodgers, filling in for Steve Garvey. Sean hails from L.A., like his father, guest pitcher for the New York Yankee's, Mike Donovan."

Sean held the bat in position, ready to swing and searched his father's expression for encouragement but Donovan offered none. Instead his eyes narrowed and his brow furrowed.

_You can't hit the ball because you're a loser_, Sean heard his father say, but Donovan's lips weren't moving. This was something Donovan had said often during practice and at little league games. And Sean didn't remember ever helping his team win a game. In fact, he remembered being made fun of.

_Loser… Loser_, his former best friend, Josh Brooks, chanted from the Yankee's dugout.

Sean watched as his father wound up his pitching arm. The ball came with lightning speed. Sean swung the bat and missed.

"STRIKE," the umpire called.

Sean's father chuckled and muttered, "Idiot," under his breath.

"Sean Donovan's a retard," Josh sang. "Retard. Retard. Retard."

"C'mon, Sean… you can do it," a woman's voice called from the stands. Sean looked up to see his mother, dressed in her blue jean jacket and checkered shirt. "Make me proud."

Sean eyed his father. _See, Mom encourages me. You hate me._

"You can't hit the ball, can you?" Donovan wound his arm again and sent the ball flying, not only fast, but above Sean's head.

Sean didn't swing this time as he felt frustration rising in his gut.

_I hate you too, Dad…_

_You're so stupid, you'll never amount to anything. That's why I'm kicking you out, and your mother and I are adopting Josh to take your place._

In his mind's eye, Sean saw his father throw a box of prized Dodger's trading cards out into the front lawn, and out with them went a collection of Star Wars Action Figures.

Donovan turned to Josh in the dugout and asked, "When it's our turn to bat, you can take my place, Son. I know you'll help us win."

"Sure thing, Dad," Josh said with a smile.

Sean's eyes started to burn with tears as he wondered how his own father could hate him so much.

_Your father's divorcing me because of you, Sean. _It was his mother's voice haunting him as he pictured her standing over him as he sat on his bedroom floor, sobbing. _If you were a good boy, this wouldn't be happening. _He watched her turn away, wiping her eyes. _I'm sorry I ever had you. You've brought nothing but shame and hurt to this family._

Sean's stomach knotted and he felt remorseful. _No, please don't leave, Dad. I'll try to be good. Don't leave us. Don't hurt Mom._

"_Dammit Sean, pay attention!" _his father yelled from the pitcher's mound. "You really want your team to lose, don't you?"

Sean looked toward the stands again and his mother wasn't there. Where was she?

His father threw the ball again, and more determined to hit it than ever, Sean focused on the flying object.

CRAAAAAAAACK! Went the bat. The ball made a sharp right turn and landed just a few feet shy of the home plate, nearly missing the umpire.

"FOUL!" the umpire cried.

"My god," Donovan lamented, "This kid really sucks."

Anger welled up inside of Sean again. He repositioned the bat for another swing.

Josh approached. "Sit down, you moron. Let me show you how it's done."

Wiping his tears with one hand, Sean dropped the bat with the other and headed toward the Dodger's dugout. He sat and watched his father throw a perfect pitch.

Josh hit the ball, sending it flying far past the third baseman, and over a metal fence. Josh took off running… passing first base… second base… third base…. and eventually a homerun.

"Yahoo!" Donovan cried, when Josh collided into him for a hug. "I knew you'd do it, Son!"

"Doesn't count, he's not playing on our team," Yankee Third Baseman, Pete Forsythe complained.

Sean couldn't control his tears. His father had disowned him in favor of Josh. Where would he live? Where was his mother? Didn't _she _love him anymore?

* * *

Diana watched the screen that played Sean's memory implant, taking delight in the nightmare she created. Now she was certain the youth would never trust his father again. She watched the young man toss and turn on a cot and mumble in his sleep…

"No Dad. Please don't leave me…. Mom… where are you?"

_Where_ is Marjorie Donovan? Diana wondered. And considered the havoc she could impose on Mike Donovan's life, and possibly Juliet Parrish's, if only she could locate his ex-wife… (and she did… in a book called "Death Tide" by A.C. Crispin and Deborah A. Marshall).


	11. Until They Meet Again

His arms embracing Julie as she slept, Donovan laid awake thinking, and worrying most the night. His thoughts wavered from how to go about getting Sean back, to how to keep Julie from feeling unsettled about his relationship with her. Her alarm clock went off at 3 am and Donovan knew that was his cue to leave. He quickly shut off the clock and reset it to six a.m. before it could wake Julie. He didn't want to bother her if only for a goodbye kiss.

When would they enjoy one another's company again? It remained to be seen. Unless if by some miracle, the war wasn't going to end anytime soon. After sitting up, Donovan pulled on his briefs then jeans, then glanced over at the woman he loved. Light spilled in from her balcony window, illuminating her face.

_Aw… what the hell?_

He leaned over, smoothed back strands of wavy blonde hair, and pressed a kiss to her ear.

Julie didn't wake. Donovan's responsibility now was into inform the others of his and Julie's decision to have her keep her distance from the group for a couple weeks. Of course this meant he couldn't see her either.

_Absence makes the heart grow fonder. _He remembered a quote by an unknown author and added his own adage _Absence drives a man insane._

_ He_ pulled the sheet over Julie's naked frame. He briefly considered waking her, if only to enjoy making love to her for the last time in what would be a while.

What neither he nor Julie knew, was that on this night, their union brought about an unexpected conception, a child that would be lost long before his birth, through new, unforeseen stresses on its parents relationship…

There's nothing like an old lover returning to confuse a man when he's having difficulties with his present love…

But that's another story, not written by this writer.

-The End


End file.
